PC Players Will Not Have To Pay For Xbox Cross Platform Play, Microsoft Confirm

No charges for PC players this time around.

Once not so long ago, Microsoft tried to create their own storefront for PC gaming. It was called Games For Windows Live, and the big selling point for it was at the time unprecedented cross functionality with Xbox (notably, you would have the same Gamertag and you would also share your Gamerscore and Achievements across Xbox and GFWL).

It was a major bust, but the biggest reason for that was Microsoft’s insistence of charging an actual subscription fee for the service- on a platform like PC, where so many other, free alternatives suggest, that went about as well as you might imagine.

Now, they are trying again. The pitch is the same- an Xbox and PC ecosystem, and they have their games that they are selling from their storefront. How do we know they won’t be charging for the service this time? Well, because they said so. We’ve already reported before that Microsoft will not charge users extra for the Xbox Anywhere initiative, which is a complete and extensive Cross Play program for all Microsoft published games. But now, they are also confirming that no extra fees will be required for PC players who wish to play with Xbox players- in spite of the need to interface with Xbox Live in that case.

“If you are on a Windows 10 PC, and log into your Xbox Live account, you can play multiplayer games and take advantage of Xbox Play Anywhere [without any extra charge],” Microsoft’s Xbox head of marketing Aaron Greenberg confirmed in an interview with GamerTag Radio. When asked specifically about cross platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10, he confirmed that there would be no extra charge.

“You can do Cross-Play with games like Gears of War 4 [with no extra charge].”

So there you go- Microsoft may be going for the same pitch again this time that they did the last time, but at least they seem to have learned from their mistakes. Will that be enough to overcome all the other issues with their Windows Store and UWP propositions? I think that Xbox Anywhere provides a value proposition good enough that it might be- but that remains to be seen going forward.

The latest word on the Internet is that you’re another clown in this huge pile of haters.

Get yourself a job, a life, and stop hating a piece of plastic that hard.

Doggystyle

What exactly are you doing? Are you here defending your precious piece of plastic from the haters? Get a job clown. Get a freakin life.

See how I just flipped it?

Terminator

He should be put on a leash.

J.j. Barrington

You Xbox guys really are bothered by this stuff, aren’t you?

Terminator

No. Why should we be bother by idiotic trolls (including you) who have nothing better to do but stalk Xbox articles hating nonstop. You could say we are laughing at you 🙂

J.j. Barrington

You sure make some vitriolic remarks to just be laughing.

Your responses are comical, though.

Mike Greenway

Now, with one purchase of a play anywhere game on my Xbox, I can continue playing on my Window 10 desktop or Laptop. It great for me.

Doggystyle

Yep. Just find one Xbox One game actually worth purchasing and you’re in. Sounds real good on the surface until you look at what games are available. I think that is the part they forgot though. Xbox One games are sh**.

Mike Greenway

I’m happy with My Xbox One and think the games are great.

Doggystyle

then why do you need play anywhere?

PinkCrocodile75

Because he wants to for one and more importantly because he can. Now go back to pleasuring your dogs

Ignore anything Doggystyle says he is a known PS Drone Corporate Slave Hypocrite Fanboy. Guy has serious issues he hates anything Microsoft/Xbox related yet goes to every article to spread his BS and nonsensical “opinion”.

Hvd

there are no pc games worth a dam* to get esports suck and so do most rts…lmao

J.j. Barrington

Why have an Xbox at all? You’ve already got a 4k gaming PC(lol, sure), so having an Xbox is really just an extra expense.

Rafoca

I see you on all Xbox posts. Your hate just shows how insecure you are.

If you think there’s nothing for you on Xbox you shouldn’t be on Xbox related posts. God, I rarely show on Sony related posts because of the lack of interest I have. That’s the normal thing to do.

J.j. Barrington

The normal thing to do is to not be a blind fanboy like yourself.

Hvd

did you read what you posted you are the kettle calling the pot black…..lmao

J.j. Barrington

Hmm… can you point out the fanboy thing I’v said?

Hvd

at least you have a guy named doggystyle agreeing with you…lmao

J.j. Barrington

Can you point out the fanboy thing I’ve said?

Rafoca

Haha last time I checked I wasn’t the one that needed to go on all articles just to hate

You see, being a hater means you are a fanboy. But a hater is like the epic level of a fanboy lol

J.j. Barrington

Where’s the hate?

Rafoca

If you didn’t realize you are a hater, then you won’t ever change.

Sorry, pal

J.j. Barrington

If you can’t explain the hate you claim is there, that’s probably because you’re a fanboy that sees hate in everything.

Rafoca

Sorry, pal

Can’t help you

J.j. Barrington

Fortunately, I don’t need any of the help you could possibly give.

Hvd

he is a ponie he is just wrong on 90% of anything he says…lol

Terminator

J.j is indeed a troll and a PS fanboy.

PinkCrocodile75

Because he has a 4k TV and wants to play with his mates in the living
room. Stupid question really.

I have a gaming pc, my boys have gaming laptops and we have an xbox one and a ps4 in the den.

We will buy an xbox one S for my youngest’s birthday and a scorpio for the living room next year, the old xbox one will go to my eldest son.

We all game together, well, my bo and husband more than me. lol

See, people do their own thing.

J.j. Barrington

So, continuing with the “can’t hook a gaming PC up to the TV” thing?

Hvd

no real pc gamer does they have 2-3 monitors hooked up to there pc why would they go to a tv..lol

J.j. Barrington

Shouldn’t you be in summer school about now?

Hvd

people keep saying with 4k upscaling and hdr god of war looks better then on a 4k pc.

Hvd

why have a ps4 at all because people dont like to build or mess with pc’s thats why you console game in the first place.pc gaming is a nightmare if the games even work..lol

J.j. Barrington

You’d have a PS4 because there are games on it you can’t play anywhere else.

Not surprised you’d think PC gaming is a nightmare. I imagine making one of those three-part balsa wood gliders would be tough for you.

Hvd

there are games on xbox one turd like i said before people who have consoles dont feel like building or even dealing with pc’s.

J.j. Barrington

You really suck at this.

Hvd

no you are just a blind idiot who cant see past the ps4…lol

J.j. Barrington

lol, sure.

Terminator

You PS Drones seriously have issues if he wants to game on an Xbox what’s it to you?

J.j. Barrington

And you Xbox fanboys are always so defensive. What’s it to you if I question his “logic?”

Terminator

More like calling you PS Drone Fanboy Trolls out for your BS. There is no logic here he wants to play on consoles that’s all there is to it so deal with it.

J.j. Barrington

So he has a PC capable of playing all his Xbox games, capable of using his Xbox controller. But it has even MORE games, AND there’s no need to pay for Live to play online.

And it’s trolling to ask why have an Xbox at that point?

You’re right about one thing: there’s definitely no logic involved on your end.

Terminator

Not all Xbox games are on PC, Xbox Live Subscription has some good perks like getting free AAA/Indie games, he has an Xbox and a PC one at his house one at his other house (you can connect the dots here)…and many other reasons to own an Xbox One…try again troll

J.j. Barrington

Aww, I seem to have hurt your feelings.

Terminator

LOL I proved you wrong and you come at me with that drivel? Thanks for trying.

Joshua Ducheny

ok tbh most of the free games with xbl suck anyways and the exclusives are few. however I do miss halo since i made the switch. but I really hope cross platform becomes huge as some pc games do have a pretty small player base such as cod.

cweb1988

That’s good. Seems kind of lame that you have to pay for it on xbox though.

YOUDIEMOFO

What’s the score here….!? Where’s my comments…!?

Hvd

id rather pay for a great service like xbox live it keeps the riff raff our.also when they try cross play with pc vs xbox one multiplayer i just want to know who on console is dumb enough to play against mouse/keyboard with a controller.

co-op is fine multiplayer fps no way in hel* would i play against a pc gamer on a console no right minded console gamer would.if they do it would be just to try it out then go back to console vs console…lol

multiplayer crossplay will NEVER work on pc vs console.

J.j. Barrington

It already does.

Hvd

one game rocket league?…..lmao go back to ponie dream land.

J.j. Barrington

Other games prior to that, as well. I’d say don’t be an idiot, but that’s your default, so…

Hvd

nope wrong as usual they are co-op not multiplayer..lear to google…lmao

J.j. Barrington

So they don’t have multiple players?

Hvd

maybe you need to learn the difference between co-0p and multiplayer and you talk about me needing to go back to school…lmao

J.j. Barrington

Suuure.

ShowanW

if this going to be the case, then the freebie games will have to be better on a consistent basis on Xbox.

Ramasez

This sounds really good only question I would have is would they lock the PC version of XBone games to a certain framerate because it would be “unfair” for console players. They tried locking the framerate before like when Killer Instinct had a really weird bug that caused the game to run at super speed if you played on a 120hz monitor to compensate.

Barry Harden

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!

So XBone console owners will be the only ones paying for Xbox Live every year??

Gamers who buy and play Xbox titles only on PC won’t have to pay a dime for Xbox Live. Amazing shaft for XBone console owners!